One-Day Cup: Lancashire through to semis despite James Harris hundred
Friday 10 May 2019 20:59, UK
Lancashire held off a spirited Middlesex fightback, led by centurion James Harris, to win by 20 runs at Lord's and book a semi-final spot in the Royal London One-Day Cup.
Having set their hosts 305 to win, Lancashire looked to be cruising through to the next stage when reducing Middlesex to 24-5 in the face of superb opening spells from James Anderson (1-35) and, in particular, Saqib Mahmood (4-38).
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Anderson first ran out Max Holden (4), the first of two direct hits he would return on the day, and then trapped Nick Gubbins lbw with his very next ball, while the hugely impressive Mahmood - just 22 years old - dismissed Sam Robson (10), Stevie Eskinazi (3) and Ross Taylor (6) with some fearsome fast bowling.
Far from throwing in the towel, Middlesex came roaring back courtesy of a 197-run stand for the sixth wicket between Harris (117) and John Simpson (74), with the former registering a classy, maiden List A century.
But, heading into the final 10 overs, and with a manageable 86 runs required, both set batsmen fell within two balls of each other, as Matt Parkinson (1-70) and Dane Vilas combined to have Harris stumped and then Anderson threw down the stumps once more to see off Simpson.
George Scott (26) and Toby Roland-Jones (26) again helped take Middlesex close, though the former fell to a dodgy lbw decision to Mahmood when struck outside the line off off-stump, and Roland-Jones was the last man out - holing out in the deep in the penultimate over.
Earlier, England's Keaton Jennings did his hopes of an Ashes call-up no harm as he top-scored for Lancashire with 96. Steven Croft (68) and Vilas (70no) too fired fifties as they managed 304-4 from their 50 overs.
Lancashire travel to The Ageas Bowl on Sunday to take on Hampshire in the semi-final, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 11.30am.
In the other One-Day Cup quarter-final, Tom Banton hit a career-best 112 as Somerset convincingly beat Worcestershire by 147 runs at New Road to clinch their semi-final spot.
The promising 20-year-old opener profited from being dropped twice at first slip by Callum Ferguson before he had reached 20 - both off the bowling of the unfortunate Pat Brown.
They would prove to be costly errors for Worcestershire, with Banton's 103-ball knock helping Somerset post 337-8 from their 50 overs.
The visitors then found an unlikely hero with the ball as they bowled out Worcestershire for just 190 in reply, part-time spinner Azhar Ali taking 5-34 in seven overs.
Somerset will face North Group winners Nottinghamshire in Sunday's last-four encounter at Trent Bridge.
